FC Cincinnati secured a crucial 1-0 victory over Columbus Crew in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference playoff series, with Kevin Denkey scoring the only goal in the 78th minute. The win marked Cincinnati's first Eastern Conference postseason win since 2022.
Cincinnati had been knocking on the door before the breakthrough against the seventh-seeded Crew, but were eventually rewarded for a well-placed attack by Ender Echenique down the left channel. Evander received a ball into his path and Denkey made no mistake in slotting it past goalkeeper Patrick Schulte to seal the win.
The match was played comfortably in Cincinnati's favor, with 17 of their 21 MLS wins this season coming by one goal. The Crew had struggled to create chances throughout the game, and Schulte's fourth save on Brenner's shot in the first half proved pivotal in denying them a lead.
A deciding match, if needed, will be played on November 8th in Cincinnati.
Meanwhile, Minnesota United secured a thrilling 1-0 victory over Seattle Sounders after a scoreless draw in Game 1 of their Western Conference playoff series, with Kelvin Yeboah, Nectarios Triantis and Joaquín Pereya converting penalty kicks for the Loons.
Despite holding 64% of possession and having a 15-11 advantage in shots, the Sounders were unable to find the back of the net in regulation. Minnesota goalkeeper Dayne St Clair made crucial saves throughout the match, including one diving stop on Cristian Roldan's shot in the 54th minute.
A tense penalty shootout ensued, but Minnesota emerged victorious after Yeboah, Triantis and Pereya all converted their kicks. Game 2 is scheduled for next Monday in Seattle.
Cincinnati had been knocking on the door before the breakthrough against the seventh-seeded Crew, but were eventually rewarded for a well-placed attack by Ender Echenique down the left channel. Evander received a ball into his path and Denkey made no mistake in slotting it past goalkeeper Patrick Schulte to seal the win.
The match was played comfortably in Cincinnati's favor, with 17 of their 21 MLS wins this season coming by one goal. The Crew had struggled to create chances throughout the game, and Schulte's fourth save on Brenner's shot in the first half proved pivotal in denying them a lead.
A deciding match, if needed, will be played on November 8th in Cincinnati.
Meanwhile, Minnesota United secured a thrilling 1-0 victory over Seattle Sounders after a scoreless draw in Game 1 of their Western Conference playoff series, with Kelvin Yeboah, Nectarios Triantis and Joaquín Pereya converting penalty kicks for the Loons.
Despite holding 64% of possession and having a 15-11 advantage in shots, the Sounders were unable to find the back of the net in regulation. Minnesota goalkeeper Dayne St Clair made crucial saves throughout the match, including one diving stop on Cristian Roldan's shot in the 54th minute.
A tense penalty shootout ensued, but Minnesota emerged victorious after Yeboah, Triantis and Pereya all converted their kicks. Game 2 is scheduled for next Monday in Seattle.
I'm loving how FC Cincinnati finally broke through and got that first Eastern Conference postseason win since 2022! they've been so close before but you know how it goes... one goal changes everything 
Kevin Denkey's strike in the 78th minute was pure magic 
especially after all those narrow wins this season where they'd only score by one goal 
now let's hope they can keep that momentum going and take down Columbus Crew in the deciding match on November 8th 
The fact that FC Cincinnati managed to break through against Columbus Crew is a testament to the team's cohesion and strategy, not to mention Ender Echenique's brilliant down-the-channel pass that set Kevin Denkey up for the winning goal. It was almost as if the Crew were caught off guard by the well-placed attack! 
On the other hand, I must commend Dayne St Clair on his impressive goal-line clearance from Cristian Roldan's shot in the 54th minute – that was a truly pivotal moment in the match! 
In any case, both FC Cincinnati and Minnesota United have shown remarkable resilience and determination to reach this stage of the playoffs. Now they must draw upon those same qualities to navigate to the next round – whichever team emerges victorious will be a true contender for the MLS Cup! 
kevin denkey scored that one goal and it was SWEET MUSIC TO MY EARS 
i mean the whole team played well but cincinnati's offense is just so aggressive and scary to play against 
they had 17 wins this season by ONE GOAL can you even? 
. I was on the edge of my seat watching Denkey score that goal in the 78th minute - what a beauty! And those MLS wins this season? Only one-goal wins? That's wild 
. Now, can we get some more of this drama on November 8th? 
FC Cincinnati is on fire rn!! 
They've finally broken that playoff curse & I'm hella hyped 4 them! 
. Now, let's hope they can take this momentum 2 the final match! 
. Kevin Denkey's goal was pure magic, I mean who needs a highlight reel when you can just watch that one goal again and again 
. and Minnesota United too! 1-0 victories are always thrilling, especially after a scoreless draw 
. I'm loving the underdog vibes from both teams right now 
can't wait for Game 2 of the Western Conference series and the deciding match in Cincinnati on Nov 8th 
!
. And what about the fans? They're probably all excited for now, but will it last once the excitement dies down? 
just watched FC Cincinnati take down Columbus Crew 1-0! 
️. Can't wait to see what happens in the next match! 
. First off, why do we have to play two games if one isn't enough? It's always gonna be a nail-biter, and it's stressful for both teams. And what's with all these 'deciding' matches? Can't just let the team that wins in regulation get the spot? It's like, make up your mind! 
